Comparing Norwegian and Japanese energy system and the cultural and historic role of craftspeople

This project will focus on the building industry that plays a vital role in climate transitions, as an object of climate adaption measures as well as a potential actor with respect to climate mitigation, for example through energy efficiency. In particular, we want to study emerging bottom-up activities aimed at strengthening the role of craftspeople in climate transitions and their related competence. In the building industry, future crafts- and journeypeople can play a central role in shaping the climate solutions together with co-workers and customers. The role of craftspeople is twofold: First, they are the hands that do the job in building what is planned. Second, craftspeople often serve as advisors regarding energy and climate issues in the design of buildings as well as refurbishments. This is particularly important for private houses, the largest group of buildings in Norway, both in number and in energy consumption (Enova 2012). For house-owners living in small houses, craftspeople are the most important energy efficiency advisors (Karlstrøm 2010; Risholt and Berker 2013). They provide both practical knowledge and practices that contribute (or does not contribute) to the implementation and use of energy efficient solutions. Thus, it is a central task in our project to explore initiatives that aims at developing the role of craftspeople as advisors, shaping and disseminating climate transitions knowledge and practices.

Prosjektet vil gjøre en sammenlignende analyse av energisystem og den kulturelle og historiske rolle til håndverkere i Norge og Japan. Å sammenligne Norge og Japan kan bidra til at vi bedre kan forstå norsk håndverk sin rolle i verden, og dermed bygge klimavennlige hus på en bedre, og mer effektiv måte. Energiforbruket i bygg- og boligsektoren står for rundt 40% av det totale energiforbruket i Norge, og vi ser på byggesektoren som en viktig aktør for å redusere energiforbruket. I Japan er energiutslippsandelen relativt lik den norske. Imidlertid er japansk byggeskikk mer praktisk-estetisk enn norsk, og dette er noe vi undersøke betydningen av når det gjelder hvilke muligheter som gis håndverkere. I tillegg vet vi at det er en mye større andel prefabrikkering i Japan, noe som kan bidra til å gi en større forståelse for mulige norske framtidsscenarioer.